Improvement in reed-organ stop-actions



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REED-DINAN STOP-ACTIUNS.

Patented J'u1y18,1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES S. ROBINSO, OFl NORTH EAST, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN REED-ORGAN STOP-ACTIONS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,959, dated July 18, 1876; application filed August 17, 1875.

To all Iwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. ROBINSON, ot' North East, in the county' oi' Erie and State. ot' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new Y and useful Improvements inl Reed-Organs;

aware that the mutes ot organs have been operated by keys, as above named, in place of pull-knobs; but my invention consists chiefiy in obtaining this result by a more simple arrangement ot' parts.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, as follows: Figure 1 is a perspeotive view of a portion of the key-board of an organ, and shows three different methods ot' arranging the stop-keys. Fig. 2 is a section view across the body ofthe organ, and shows the arrangement ot' mutes and my methods of arranging my devices for operating the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detached views.

The initial part ot' my invention consists in having one actuating-lever, which I so place p as to be acted upon directly by the tin ger, and

which, by a single connecting-rod, acts directly upon the mute. (l also show a modification of this plan.) By my arrangement I avoid compounding levers and parts, and save cost of construction, obviate riction and liability ot' derangement of parts. I illustrate, by my drawings, various arrangements ot' these parts; but all are substantially the same, the diti'erence being in the position oi' the stop-keys.

In the accompanying drawing, A is the name-board; B, the keyboard; C, the keyslip. E, I?, andGare the stop-keys. DD are the stop-registers. L L L" are the aetuatn levers. It It are the connecting-rods. M M

are the mutes. H H H are the lever fulera or hangers. l

board above.

from the key, is formed to suit the direction In describing my invention I will confine myself to one method of arrangement of parts, and then show hou7 the arrangement may be varied. y

E is a stop-key placed in front ofthe nameboard A, and is attached to the rod l, which is a part or continuation ofV the lever L, which passes through aslot in the llame-board. The

key E is operated on by the linger of the operator. The lever is fulcrumed in the hanger H, which is placed at the proper distance from the name-board, and is attached to the The lever, at the opposite end which the rod R will take. As in the present showing, when the rod is to run to the front of the instruments the lever is curved down, so as to allow the rod R to pass through it at about right angles. It' the rod were to run to thel back of the instrument, ano-ther form would be given to the lever. As many levers may be arranged in this way as may be desired, and the rods can take as many directions. lhese rods R pass between the key- ,levers, as shown, and also between the trackerpins, and in no way interfere with the action of those parts. Therods, it will beseen, connect directly with the mutes, and no complication of parts exists. The slot in the nameboard through which the rod l ot the lever L works is so formed as to have a catch, c, (see Fig. 3,) into which the rod naturally falls, and thus the mute is kept open. When it is desired to close the mute a slight lateral motion or touch on the key will disengage the lever, and the spring on the mute will close it.

It will, therefore, be noticed -that I use no springs except such as are already in use on the instrument. rWhen the mute is opened the key is seen depressed, as is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, and by this variation of position the operator can tell the position ot' the mutes. The names of the mutes may be placed on the keys (stop-keys) or on tablets contiguous thereto. When it is desired to place the stop-keys along theikey-slip, to be operated by a downward pressure of the thumb, it can be so done.

In this case the levers Willall be below the keys', and the connecting-rods do not have to pass between them. The levers themselves,

(See stop-key (f, lever L.)

however, have to pass between the trac-kerpins, and so mustbe thin enough to do so. The hangers II in this case can be attached at proper points, either from parts above or built up from the boards below, (as is H".) The key-slip in this case will be slotted, the same as the name-board in the other case, and the rod l will engage and disengage with the catch or notch c in the same manner.

Another mode ot operating the actuatinglevers is by a plunger, P, passing down through the keys B in front of the nameboard. The plunger P is provided with a iinger-key, F, and connects directly with the aetuating-leverL/f, which is the saine as in the other modes ot' operation described. The levers in this case may be fulcrumed 011 hangers like H or Hf. The plunger P is provided with a notch or catch, p, which catches under the edge of the naine-board A as the lever is depressed, and holds it thus until disengaged by a slight pulling` movement of the linger. The position ofthe stop or mute is shown by the relation ofthe key to a tablet bearing the name ot' the stop, which is attached to the name-board above and contiguous 'to the key.

The tablet is stationary while the key is inov` able; hence, by their relation one to the other, the operator can quickly see the position ot` the stop. This fea-ture is also used when the other form of key is used in the name-board. X/Vhen the keys are placed along` the key-slip the names of the stops are placed on them, or else on the key-slip beside the keys, and the position of the mutes i's shown by the keys being in line or depressed out ot' line, as before stated.

Now, I-ani aware that the use of a lever and conncctngrods for operating the stops of an organ is old; but

What I claim as new is as follows:

l. The pivoted lever L, provided with the finger-key E, arranged to project through the name-board, the rod R, and stop M, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes mentioned.

2. The pivoted lever L', provided with the finger-key G, arranged to project through the key-slip, the rod R', and stop M, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination ot' the key F, vertical plunger P, lever L, rod Rf', and stop M, the

said parts being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposcs set forth. l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

JAMES S. ROB lNSON.

Witnesses:

JN0. K. HALLocK, F. GURBZE. 

